Shoe-clasp



(No Model.) T. E. KING.

SHOE CLASP.

No. 362,013. Patented Apr. 26, 1887.

fi -w fi JC j 62 5 m a my I d1 I QA/WW 2mm? 5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE E. KING, OF WVESTPORT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH C.

HAMMOND, OF ROOKVILLE, OONNEOTIOUT.-

SHOE-CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,013, dated April 26, 1 887.

' Application filed November 3, 1886. Serial No. 217,870. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEODORE E. -KING, of Westport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ShoeOlasps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, whereby any one skilled in the art can make and use the same.

My improvement relates, so far as the tongue 'is concerned,to one made of wire bent to shape,

and to a tongue-plate having a stop that limits the sidewise compression of the tongue, and, further, to a tongue-plate formed of wire bent to shape,with the ends of the wire secured by a clamp-plate of peculiar construction.

Ihe object of my invention is to provide a wire tongue and tongue plate for a shoe-clasp, so constructed as to render these parts durable.

My improvement consists in a wire tongue bent to hook shape, with pivots formed by bends in the tongue, in combination with a tongue-plate having a stop that limits the inward movement of the sides of the tongue.

It further consists in such a tongue, in combination with a frame made up of wire bent to shape and a clamp-plate that embraces firmly the cross-bar of the frame and the outturned ends of the wire; and it further consists in details of the several parts making up the shoe-clasp, and their combination, as more particularly hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a View of the under side of a tongue-plate and connected tongue embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal central section of these parts. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the under side of a tongue-plate and frame, showing a modified form of my improvement. Fig. 4is a detail view, in central section, of the same. Fig. 5 is adetail view of the under side of another modified form of my improvement, showing the tongue and takeup connected. Fig. 6 is a view, in cross-section, of these latter on planea; xof Fig. 5.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter a denotes the tongue that in eachinstance is made of wire, bent preferably to hook shape, and with the pivots formed on the inner end of the tongue by bends or loops a of the wire of which the tongue is made.

The letter 1) denotes a stop so located in the frame as to limit the movement of the ends of the tongue inward or toward each other. In one instance, as shown in Fig. 1, this is effected by a loop or bend in the wire of which the framebis composed; in another instance,

by an angular enlargement of the cross-bar of upon it and the ends b in such manner as to not only tend to prevent the pulling apartof the ends, but also to make this clamp-plate rigid with the frame, or, in other words, prevent it from turning pivot-ally upon the crossbar. This clamp-plate may be provided with a hole, 0, through which a rivet may pass as a means of securing it to the strap of a shoe; or the end of such a strap may be passed through the frame back of the crossbar b", and then folded upon the clamp-plate and fastened by stitching or cementing the end upon the standing part of the strap. It is desirable to make such a clamp-plate, c, rigid with theframe, for the reason that if the plate couldturn freely upon the frame there would be difficulty in opening and closing the tongue that is pivoted to the frame,while the function of the plate in securely embracing the outturned ends of the wire frame of the tongue-plate is obviously to prevent thclat-ter from being pulled out by any strain that would tend to force the sides apart, and thus destroy the utility of such a wire tongue-plate.

The catch-plate dis made of a thin piece of sheet metal,and has a series of cross-wire openings, d,for the reception of the tongue a, that is adapted to pass through one of such openings to join the parts. Each of these tonguereceiving openings is less in length than the tongue isin width at the bend in the tongue, so that the latter is compressed in passing through the catch-plate when the shoulders on IOO the tongue come in contact with the ends of the openings. As the plate is formed of thin metal it is necessary to increase its rigidity, and this is done by forming each opposite edge lengthwise of the catch-plate into tubular folds (P, the edge of the plate turning under and against the main part of it, so as to present only a rounded surface on the edge of the plate. This rounded edge does not cut any article of Wearing-apparel that may rub against it, and such a method of construction provides a very light and yet extremely rigid structure.

I claim as my improvement 1. In combination with a tongue, a, formed of wire, bent to shape and having eyes or loops by which it is pivotal] y connected to a tongueplate, a tongue-plate, I), having a pivot-bar, and astop, b, that limits the inward movement of the side parts of the tongue, all sub stantially as described.

2. In combination with a wire tongue, a,

having eyes or loops at, the frame I), having a pivot-bar for the attachment of the tongue,and the projecting loop b in the pivot-bar, located between the ends of the tongue, all substantially as described.

3. In a shoe-clasp, the combination of a tongue-plate,b, formed of wire, bent to shape, with the cross-bar b at one end of the frame and the outturned ends of the Wire of which the frame is composed lying side by side in substantially the plane of the tongue-plate, the clamp-plate c, of thin metal, that is folded down upon and firmly embraces the cross-bar b and the projecting ends b and the tongue a, pivotally attached to said tongue-plate, all substantially as described.

THEODORE E. Kl NG.

\Vitnesses:

B. L, WOODWORTH, H. E. SHERWOOD. 

